Deuteronomy 4:17 kjv
The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
Deuteronomy 4:17 nkjv
the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air,
Deuteronomy 4:17 niv
or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air,
Deuteronomy 4:17 esv
the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air,
Deuteronomy 4:17 nlt
an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky,
Deuteronomy 4 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 20:4-5 | “You shall not make for yourself a graven image... any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth..." | The foundational Second Commandment prohibiting images. |
| Deut 5:8-9 | “You shall not make for yourself a graven image... any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth." | Echo of the Second Commandment in the renewed covenant. |
| Deut 4:15-16 | “Therefore watch yourselves very carefully... for you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb... lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure..." | Immediate context: No form was seen at Horeb, justifying the prohibition. |
| Deut 4:18 | “the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth..." | Continues the prohibition to include reptiles and sea creatures, completing the domains. |
| Rom 1:23 | “and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things." | New Testament affirmation of the same error, paralleling the specific categories. |
| Ps 115:4-7 | “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see..." | Highlights the futility and powerlessness of man-made idols. |
| Isa 40:18 | “To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness will you compare to him?" | Emphasizes God's incomparability and unique nature. |
| Jer 10:3-5 | “for the customs of the peoples are worthless... They are like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk." | Mocks the lifelessness and inability of idols made by human hands. |
| Hab 2:18-19 | “What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies?... Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, ‘Awake’; to a silent stone, ‘Arise’!" | Pronounces judgment on idol worship, revealing idols as teachers of lies. |
| Lev 26:1 | “You shall not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or a pillar, and you shall not place any figured stone in your land to bow down to it..." | General prohibition against all forms of idolatrous objects. |
| Exo 32:7-8 | Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside from the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf..." | Example of making a beast-form idol for worship. |
| 1 Kin 12:28-30 | So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold... and this thing became a sin." | Jeroboam's sin of establishing golden calves, explicitly breaking this command. |
| Hos 8:5-6 | “Your calf is cast off, O Samaria... For from Israel comes even this— a craftsman made it; it is no god." | Prophetic judgment on Israel's idolatry, specifically naming the calf. |
| Eze 8:7-10 | Then he led me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, there was a hole in the wall... I looked, and there were all sorts of creeping things and detestable beasts and all the idols of the house of Israel..." | Describes images of detestable beasts being worshipped in the temple, fulfilling the prophetic warning. |
| Acts 17:29 | “Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man." | Paul's sermon in Athens reinforcing the transcendence and immateriality of God against idol worship. |
| 1 Cor 10:14 | “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." | New Testament exhortation to actively avoid idolatry. |
| John 4:24 | “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." | Undergirds the spiritual nature of God, not bound by physical forms or locations. |
| Isa 44:9-10 | “All who fashion idols are nothing... A craftsman fashions a god... which cannot profit.” | Denounces the folly of idol manufacturing. |
| Rev 13:14-15 | “and by the signs that it is allowed to work... it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast..." | Illustrates a future instance of widespread idol worship, underscoring its enduring evil. |
| 2 Kin 17:16 | And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves molded images of two calves... | Further historical example of Israel's descent into idolatry using animal forms. |
Deuteronomy 4 verses
Deuteronomy 4 17 Meaning
Deuteronomy 4:17 continues Moses' strong warning against idolatry, specifically forbidding the Israelites from making for themselves any graven image that represents the form or likeness of any living creature. This verse focuses on creatures from two primary domains: land animals ("beast that is on the earth") and birds ("winged fowl that flies in the air"), emphasizing God's prohibition against depicting Him, or any other deity, in forms of created life. This directive underpins the uniqueness of the invisible God of Israel and prevents His worshippers from reducing His majesty to material forms or associating Him with the deities of surrounding pagan nations who often took animal forms.
Deuteronomy 4 17 Context
Deuteronomy 4 is a pivotal chapter where Moses pleads with the Israelites to remain faithful to God's covenant given at Mount Horeb (Sinai). This section specifically (vv. 15-20) details the second commandment, prohibiting idolatry. Moses reminds them of the unique revelation they received: God spoke from the fire but they saw "no form" (Deut 4:12, 15). This absence of a visual representation is crucial; it established God as transcendent, distinct from all pagan deities who were often depicted in anthropomorphic or theriomorphic (animal) forms. Verses 16-18 then elaborate on this prohibition, listing specific categories of created beings: male or female, land animals, winged birds (v. 17), creeping things, and fish (v. 18), and even celestial bodies (v. 19). The original audience, poised to enter Canaan, would encounter numerous cults (Egyptian, Canaanite, Mesopotamian) that worshipped deities often associated with or represented by animalistic imagery (e.g., bull gods like Baal, serpent deities, bird-headed gods). This comprehensive prohibition serves as a direct polemic against such practices, asserting Yahweh's incomparability and spiritual nature over all created things. It highlights that true worship involves listening to and obeying God's word rather than visual representation or human constructs.
Deuteronomy 4 17 Word analysis
- the likeness: (Heb. תְּמוּנָה, t'munah) This significant word means "form," "figure," "shape," or "representation." Its repeated use in Deut 4:15-18 emphasizes that Israel saw "no form" of God, directly contrasting with the making of any "likeness" of creation. The t'munah of God is unattainable by human hand or mind, making any attempt to create it a distortion.
- of any beast: (Heb. בְּהֵמָה, behemah) Refers to domesticated, large land animals. The inclusion here signifies creatures commonly seen and used by people, often becoming subjects of pagan worship or symbols for their gods (e.g., bull in Canaanite worship, sacred cattle in Egypt).
- that is on the earth: (Heb. בָּאָרֶץ, ba'aretz) Specifies the habitat of the "beast," linking it directly to the terrestrial realm. This clarifies the scope of the forbidden images.
- the likeness: (Heb. תְּמוּנָה, t'munah) Repeated, reinforcing the gravity and breadth of the prohibition. The command isn't just against "beasts" but their "likeness."
- of any winged fowl: (Heb. כָּל־צִפּוֹר כָּנָף, kol-tzippor kanaf) "Tzippor" is a bird, "kanaf" means "wing" or "winged." This precise phrasing denotes birds specifically known for their ability to fly, common subjects of artistic representation and veneration in ancient cultures.
- that flies in the air: (Heb. בַּשָּׁמָיִם, bashamayim, "in the heavens" or "in the sky") This clarifies the domain of the winged fowl. Together with "on the earth," it starts to categorize all forms of created life by their dwelling place, to comprehensively prohibit their idolatrous representation.
- "the likeness of any beast... that is on the earth": This phrase specifically targets idols that depict animals residing on land. It directly challenges the zoomorphic worship common in surrounding cultures, where deities or their attributes were embodied in animals like bulls (a symbol of strength and fertility) or various other sacred creatures. The emphasis is on materializing the divine into an observable and definable form.
- "the likeness of any winged fowl... that flies in the air": This broadens the prohibition to include creatures of the sky. Bird deities or symbols (like the Horus falcon in Egypt or various divine bird messengers in Mesopotamia) were also prevalent. By specifying "winged fowl" and "in the air," Moses underscores the comprehensive nature of the prohibition against representing God through any created thing, whether terrestrial or aerial. The combined injunction covers major categories of animals, excluding marine and creeping things which are listed in the subsequent verse (Deut 4:18), indicating a systematic dismantling of ANE idolatry types.
Deuteronomy 4 17 Bonus section
The distinction between seeing "no form" of God (Deut 4:15) and prohibiting "likenesses" (Deut 4:16-18) underscores a fundamental aspect of biblical theology: God is primarily known through revelation by His Word (Deut 4:36, "out of the heavens He let you hear His voice") rather than through physical manifestation or artistic impression. This concept stands in stark contrast to much of the ancient world's religious practices which heavily relied on cultic images and visual representations to access or appease their gods. The specific listing of types of animals (beasts, birds, creeping things, fish in the next verse) demonstrates a systematic rejection of all known forms of theriomorphic deity representation prevalent in the Ancient Near East. It reflects an exhaustive declaration against syncretism, ensuring Israel's unique and exclusive devotion to Yahweh, who is Spirit and transcendent.
Deuteronomy 4 17 Commentary
Deuteronomy 4:17 serves as a vital safeguard against idolatry, flowing directly from God's unique self-revelation at Horeb. Since Israel heard God's voice but saw no visible form, this verse asserts that God is beyond all created depiction. It's not a general prohibition against all forms of art, but specifically against images used for worship or as representations of God. By forbidding the likeness of land animals and birds, Moses challenges the prevalent pagan practice of reducing deity to finite, controllable, and often zoomorphic forms. This prohibition underscores God's absolute transcendence, His otherness, and His non-material nature, teaching Israel to worship a God known by His word and deeds, not by humanly crafted perceptions. Violating this command represents a denial of God's incomparable glory and an attempt to limit the infinite God to the created order, leading to spiritual degradation and ethical corruption. This verse reinforces the first and second commandments, foundational to monotheism.Practical usage example:
- Reminds us that God cannot be confined to any earthly representation or human concept; our worship should be primarily spiritual, guided by His Word.
- Encourages us to seek God in truth, avoiding material substitutes for genuine encounter.